Several of my own prior patents and applications discuss the attributes of electrically treating waste liquids to encourage floculation. Moreover, it is a well-known fact that, in an electrolytic treater, electrodes made from certain materials react more favorably with certain substances contained in the liquid being treated than other materials which could be selected for the electrodes. That is, for any given substance carried by a liquid, certain materials seem to promote floculation of such substances to a greater degree than others.
In many industrial installations, the waste effluent may vary from day to day and from job to job with respect to the constituents of the effluent. However, it is commonly the case that a signle treating system must try to cope with all of the countless varieties of substances that may be presented to it for handling. As above stated, some materials perform better with regard to certain substances than others, and hence, although the system might employ one material ideally suited for a certain substance on one day, such material might not be ideal for the next day or for the next batch of waste liquid presented to the treating system.